The Trouble
by Dreaming One
Summary: (Force Awakens Spoilers!) Rey's longing for the family she'll never have masks itself as hatred for Kylo Ren, who she has vowed to destroy. Meanwhile, the force's continued awakening has unprecedented consequences.
1. Prologue

**Hi guys! So I've never dabbled in this fandom. I just watched Star Wars, and it inspired me. Hopefully this gives someone a bit of a fix! I know that ending left me wanting more Star Wars. hahaha. Enjoy!**

 **PS: For the purposes of this story, Rey is NOT a Skywalker, and she's not Han and Leia's kid either. So...no family tie weirdness. If that turns out to be AU, then so be it. lol. Also I haven't decided if this is a one-shot or not yet.**

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"Kylo Ren," she hissed. Rey tightened her grip on her lightsaber, eyes never leaving the dark figure across the battlefield. She knew that from behind the black helmet, his eyes were locked on hers. She could feel it. And she knew he would hear what she said. "Come closer so I can finally kill you."

He tilted his head a little before moving towards her, distinct cross-shaped lightsaber held casually at his side. His unconcern angered her. In her mind she heard the voice of her teacher, Luke Skywalker. Do not give in to anger. Find your peace. But this was the man who had killed Han Solo, his own father, a father she would have given anything to have. She who had no parents hated him for despising the ones he had.

"I know you can feel it," he said when he was close enough to be heard. He stepped over dead bodies as if they were nothing. Strangely, the battle avoided him, as it did her. "The dark side. The pull is strong for you now."

"The only pull I feel is the pull to destroy you," she said coldly. She lifted her chin. "It will restore balance. You and your knights, your order, must be destroyed."

She heard his laugh. He looked away briefly. "You will never eradicate the power of the dark side. And you know that I do not rule the First Order. Snoke does. Yet you hate me. You are obsessed."

She moved a few steps towards him, lightsaber at the ready. He mirrored her movements, slowly."He needs your power," she said. "He's using you. You are a puppet." In the back of her mind she knew she was tacitly agreeing with him, and it annoyed her.

"I'm using him. He trains me, so that my potential can be realized. One day I will kill him."

"You're disgusting," she spat.

"I'm improving. You will not find me as easy an opponent as last time we met." They stopped a few feet away from each other. Neither made a move to attack. "Tell me," he said suddenly, "would this be easier without the helmet?"

Her chest did something funny. "I will kill you with or without a face to look at."

"What's the matter?" He was mocking her. She felt the air stir and his mood suddenly changed. Tension filled his limbs. He reached up and pulled his helmet off in a jerking motion, revealing his narrow face and dark, increasingly sunken eyes. "See me," he hissed. "See me Rey. And hate me. Hate the man who killed your would-be father. Hate the man who killed your friend the traitor."

"Finn hasn't died yet, you piece of filth."

"He might as well have. He will never awaken. You know this. You've seen it. You're all alone, Rey. Because of me."

With a wordless roar she lunged at him, but he was ready. With ease he blocked her, and she struck again, and again was blocked, and again. They circled one another, and suddenly he spun round and cut low at her feet. Rey jumped just in time to avoid losing her leg, and sliced the air in front of her where his neck had been moments before. He was too fast. Though his emotions appeared as uncontrolled as ever, there was a greater darkness in his eyes than the last time she'd fought him. It steadied him. And she felt it begin to lure her. She couldn't stop looking. And she hated him.

"Exactly, Rey. You're doing so well," he said softly, as they circled each other. "Let it have you. Let it pull you."

He was right, she knew. The pull of the dark side was always there when she thought of him, and it was worse when she faced him. She would never defeat him like this. Rey reached inward, and searched for the goodness of the force she worked with. She found it. It told her to wonder why Kylo Ren was not trying harder to kill her. Her step faltered.

"Yes, exactly," he said, misinterpreting her unease. "Hate me. Despise me. Give in. And join me."

The gleam in his eyes made her stomach churn. "Hate you...and join you? You are completely delusional! I would die a million deaths before joining the likes of you. You sicken me!"

"I know. I know I do. I sicken you." He moved towards her, frantic, but again she realized he was not moving to kill. She found she could not move to strike. Something was wrong. The force was speaking. Something was wrong. She backed away hurriedly. His eyes bore into hers. "Let it strengthen you, Rey. It doesn't have to be like this."

She shook her head. "The light side is stronger than the dark. You-" His eyes. The strange feeling in her chest. She redirected her sentence. "The dark side can never tempt me."

His face twisted into a sneer. "It already has."

"No."

He lunged. She moved just in time to avoid a blow to the chest, and moved to strike at his left side only to be blocked by him. They froze like that, pushing against each other's lightsabers. Eyes locked on one another's, the battle changed from one of strength to one of force. It moved to the mind. She felt him pushing, prying into the tumult within her. Unperturbed, she pushed back.

Pain. Fear. Confusion. Loneliness.

Rey jumped back and put a hand to her temple, trying to wipe away the revelation she'd just had. Leia was right. Her son was still in there. "I still hate you," she whispered.

"Whatever you think you saw," he said shakily, rage and fear stamped across his features, "it is nothing. It is a trick of the light side, trying to sway me. Through you."

"Why through me?"

He didn't reply. And suddenly she understood.

"You feel it too," she said. "I'm not the only one being lured by the other side of the force. You feel it. You still feel the pull of the light side. You feel it when you face me."

His expression didn't change. "A very good reason to kill you now."

"Then why are you trying to talk me into joining you?"

They were circling each other again. Weapons raised.

"It's not a flawless plan, I admit," he said. She didn't have any time to react. He struck out and she bit back a cry as red light sliced through her arm. She gave it a shake to make sure it was still attached, and switched her lightsaber to the other hand. Rey reached deep within herself, reached for the steady thrum of the force, but still when she struck it was too slow, and a sort of frenzy had taken over Kylo Ren once more. He pushed her back, he struck at her leg, she struck and was blocked, she lunged again and hit air, and was herself pushed to the ground. Not the ground – the surface she fell onto gave way beneath her with a sickening squish, the body of the dead soldier still warm. She found herself staring at the tip of a red lightsaber. She raised her gaze higher, and met eyes that shone with darkness. He knelt down over her, still careful lest she strike. She couldn't. Both her arms were refusing to respond. Whatever he'd done to her, it had been done well.

He studied her. "You can't fight me any more today," he said matter of factly. The lightsaber was lowered harmlessly at his side, and he leaned in closer. She cringed back. She could feel his breath. He reached a hand forward and pushed back a stray hair from her face. Again, she felt that something was wrong, but her fear and anger were so great she couldn't make sense of it. And she was about to die. And she hadn't killed him yet. She had failed.

"You know, the first time I saw you I knew you would be trouble."

"The greatest trouble," she said, and felt tears spill out of her eyes, "will be my failure to kill you today."

A worried look, almost concerned, flashed in his eyes, and it was so out of place it nearly scared her. He was playing mind games with her. She was sure of it. She had to remain strong to the end. If he did not kill her, he was sure to try to turn her. And she could not. She could not. He stared at her. He seemed to study her hair, her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, then even her lips. Rey furrowed her brow.

"Kill me," she snapped. "Get it over with."

His eyes met hers. He had the saddest, darkest eyes. "You're really quite pretty, you know." Before she even had a chance to respond to that, he stood up and his face was a cold mask once more. Ignoring her, he strode over to where his helmet had fallen and picked it up. And then he was walking away. It didn't make any sense.

"Wait!" she called out. He didn't stop. She tried applying weight to her hands, pushing herself up, and cried out in pain. She still couldn't get up. "Wait, dammit!" she yelled. He walked away. "Ben Solo!"

He stopped short. Glanced over his shoulder at her. "He died with his father. You'd best remember that. The force is too strong with you for your injuries to kill you. Even if somebody else comes to finish you off, something will prevent it. And we will meet again."

"Why not just kill me? I came here to kill you."

"I know you did," he said, a strange smile twisting his mouth. "And you're the biggest threat to the First Order."

"Why not kill me?" she demanded.

"I'm not redeemable," he said bluntly. Then a funny, boyish glint filled his eyes and it made him look normal. "It's just, if I kill you I'm not likely to find much of a challenge in the future, am I?" And he winked at her. Rey was left with no choice but to watch him walk away, still not understanding and somehow even more afraid of him than when he was a step from ending her life.

In the months that followed, Snoke continued to exact revenge on the Republic and all efforts to restore the Jedi order. Kylo Ren was heavily involved, and responsible for the deaths of countless men and women. Rey could not forget that he'd let her live.


	2. Chapter 1

**Oh my goodness! LOL! I have never had that much response from a first chapter. Seems you're all as hungry for more as I am after that damn good movie. Well, in light of your enthusiasm, I've written another chapter. I do have a backstory for Rey's origin, as I'm sure some of you are wondering. I don't think it will be canon but I think it fills a lot of plot holes. And we will definitely be seeing more of Kylo Ren, who I think is a brilliant character. (Who else loves that knife-edge of madness? So fun, right?)**

 **Other than that, I've got no information for you. I know nothing about the Star Wars fandom, I'm only playing around with my imagination. :) Thanks for encouraging me! And enjoy.**

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A cool, damp breeze blew through the open window, rustling through the pile of papers on the stone table. Sitting at the table was General Leia Organa, her head leaning tired yet calm against her hand. She drummed her fingers over the papers before her.

"Why do you hate to be called princess?" Rey asked suddenly.

Leia's lips curved into a wry, sad smile. "It didn't bother me with everyone."

Han Solo's death still felt recent, even a year later. However Rey was determined not to be sidetracked. "You are the only princess I've ever met. Why pretend you're something you're not?"

A sound that might of been a dry grunt was her only response. Leia continued to read through her notes. Annoyed, Rey waved a hand and sent the papers flying off the table. It was juvenile but she didn't care. She _was_ a juvenile. She stood to her feet, while a patient and unsurprised Leia watched her. "I don't like the way people call things what they aren't. Everybody does it. You are what you are. You are royalty, and I am a nobody- and Luke Skywalker is a coward for hiding all those years."

"Are you telling me I'm no General, Rey?" The question was steady. Even. However, a pulse in the air reminded Rey that Leia was a Skywalker, and she had just insulted her brother. The force was strong in the room.

Rey began to pace. "I'm sorry. You're a General. Fine. But you are a princess."

"And you are a nobody." It was a question.

"Yes!" she snapped, and across the room books fell from their shelves and landed on the floor with a thud. Leia rubbed her forehead.

"You must regain your control. You were doing very well. I've seen this too many times not to caution you that your temper is a siren call to the dark side. And please don't insult my brother again. You're speaking of things you don't understand, and like it or not, he is your master. Tell me, what is this about?"

"How about you answer my question clearly, and then I will answer yours."

Leia studied the young girl before her. So hot-tempered. So independent. So wounded. "This universe has no place in it for royalty. There have been enough would-be dictators."

"A General is still in charge," Rey replied. "Pretty convenient."

Although the girl's tone was disrespectful, Leia threw her head back in a laugh that was throaty and genuine. "Oh, girl. Yes. I am doing what comes natural to me. However I have answered your question. Now why don't you answer mine."

Frustration filled her stomach with low, angry knots. Back on Jakku things had been difficult, but simple. Calm had come easy to her there. She had lived her life patiently, quietly waiting for the return of parents that she now feared were long since dead. This past year, since the force awakened, since watching Han Solo die, since facing Ren. Since meeting Luke Skywalker. Since the visions. Where was the hope in this? There was none. Rey found that she hated what life had become.

Sensing that no reply would come, Leia stood to her feet and came beside Rey, putting a hand on her back. "Perhaps you resent your involvement in a battle that is too big for you. Perhaps you feel helpless."

"I _am_ helpless," Rey said. Hot tears crept into her eyes. "I am surrounded by heroes. By legends. The universe is falling to pieces and yet all of you seem to have a place in it. You are Skywalkers, and Solos, connected to the Jedi academy, trained, significant. Even Kylo Ren -" Rey stopped short, seeing the pain flash across the Leia's face. Her breath caught in her throat. "I am sorry, General. I did not mean to cause you pain."

Leia took a deep breath. "No. Do not apologize. The reminder is a good thing, for it reminds me to have hope that my son will one day return."

"He is not redeemable," Rey said coldly. She remembered his cruelty. She remembered how he killed his father. "He said so himself. Do not let him manipulate you. His abilities in that area are strong."

"Are you trying to protect me?" There was an unspoken 'or someone else' in the General's tone. Rey offered no reply, merely stared out the window. D'Qar was nothing like Jakku. Perhaps she didn't exactly miss the harsh sands, but she wondered how long it would be until fate forced her to leave this foreign beauty. The uncertainty made her want to give up and go back now. And of course she was trying to distract herself, now. Because once Kylo Ren was in her thoughts it was difficult to get him out. And she'd never told the others that he'd let her live. Didn't want to play into his hand.

"Rey, we need you. And while it is true that you are no Skywalker, the force is strong with you." Indecision crossed the older woman's features. She worried her lower lip in a gesture much younger than her years. "Rey," she said again. This time something in her tone caught the younger girl's attention.

"Yes," Rey said, seeing her opportunity. "You know something." Leia did not deny it. Rey's heart began to pound. She grabbed the General's hands in her own. "Tell me," she pleaded. "I know you know something. All of you do. Luke does. And he will not tell me."

"Luke is training you, as he was trained. You must learn patience."

"Hang patience! I'm plenty patient. I've waited a year. I can control the force. I am strong in mind tricks. I wish for peace."

"You wish to kill my son."

Rey's chest went tight. She shook her head. "That isn't fair to me. Kylo Ren killed your son. Killed Finn. Killed Han. You can't put that on me. If you want my help, if everybody keeps telling me the force has chosen me, that I am the key to defeating the First Order, then you can not name Ren as your son. It isn't fair."

"Fair or not fair is not what matters. Only truth."

Guilt over the secret she carried surfaced, and was quickly squashed. "Please," Rey said, and collapsed in a chair. She ran her hands back over her hair, which was styled in unfamiliar braids. "Just tell me who I am. I can't just be chosen, like a piece of metal from a junk heap."

Leia returned to her seat across from the girl. "Unfortunately you can. The force has a strange will of its own. However, we do know who your parents were." Rey looked up. Leia sighed. "Your mother was beautiful." The General stared at the papers in front of her, suddenly organizing them into a little pile. She smoothed down the corners. Straightened them. Gave a tired huff. "Hang this. It is not my story to tell, but Luke's. Ask him to tell you. If you tell him I said it was time, he will listen. And if not, you can tell me and I'll deal with him."

Rey stood to her feet. "Thank you. _Thank you_. When will he be back?"

Leia waved her hand impatiently. "Sit, girl. We still have to discuss your next mission. Luke will be back when he is back."

A strange peace filled Rey's heart, and she nodded. This was better. This, at least, was progress. A knock sounded at the door, and Poe entered, swarthy and handsome as always. Rey felt herself adjust her posture subtly. "Am I interrupting?" he asked with a grin. He approached and took the chair beside Rey without waiting for a response. Warmth filled Leia's eyes.

"Poe, my favourite pilot. What perfect timing," she said. "We were just discussing your next mission."

"Is Poe coming with me?"

"Are you coming with me, you mean," he said with a wink.

Rey scowled. "The Millennium Falcon is mine now. If you're on board, you're with me."

"Maybe we'll be on my ship," he replied.

"I don't think so," Rey stated.

Leia rolled her eyes. "You will both be on board the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca is getting too old for these missions and neither of you speak wookie well enough for a partnership to be practical. You will drop him off at Maz Kanata's on your way to your reconnaissance mission."

Rey quite liked the wookie, and immediately felt a sense of loss. He was like a large plush toy she could turn to for comfort. However, she could not deny the sense in the General's words. "Our mission which is...?" Rey asked.

"We have received intelligence that the First Order is developing a strategy for handling the awakening. It seems your friend Finn is not the only one to receive a wakeup call from the force. Too many of them are thinking for themselves, and what's worse is the force influencing them."

"You believe Finn is force sensitive?" Poe asked. There was more to the question than simple curiosity. The more force sensitive a person was, the more likely they were to survive severe injuries. Or to wake from a coma.

"Yes, though nothing like Rey. It seems the force is awakening many at the moment. It interferes with all of General Hux's careful conditioning. Rather than exterminate them, Kylo Ren has convinced Snoke to offer them training in the ways of the dark side."

"A Sith academy," Poe stated, disgust plain on his features.

"That is a very risky plan," Rey said matter of factly. "They saw what happened with Finn. You can't control what side of the force will pull someone. Can you?"

"Unfortunately there are many ways a person can be persuaded. And the dark side excels at various forms of persuasion."

Both Rey and Poe knew this first hand. They exchanged a meaningful look.

"What do you want us to do?" Poe asked.

"This doesn't make sense to me," Rey whispered. She felt a knowing inside herself, like the edge of a melody she couldn't recall. Something wasn't right. "This. . ."

Leia raised her eyebrows, encouraging the girl to continue. "Yes, child. What is it?"

"The Sith. There are only supposed to be two of them. How can they risk any more than that? Their hunger for power, their violent natures. Surely they are too power hungry and competitive to allow other Sith to be trained. And wouldn't this destroy the balance of the universe? There are barely any Jedi. What is Kylo Ren thinking? Why would Snoke allow it?"

"The universe is sturdier than you think," Leia said drily. "But in answer to your question, I don't know. Since the time of Darth Bane there have never been more than master and apprentice. It is possible that Snoke senses an awakening has taken place that is outside all of our control. You are exceptionally strong in the force, Rey, but you are not the only one who wields it. Luke has been visiting planets where we have been alerted to the emergence of many force-sensitive children and juveniles. It is unprecedented. Even Maz can not remember an awakening of this magnitude. At the end of the day force wielders are partners with the force, we are not its dictators. Not even the Sith."

"So they either kill them all, or try to tap into what the dark side wants with this awakening," Poe suggested.

Rey stood to her feet and began to pace. "It isn't right," she said. "It shouldn't be like this."

"Be like what?" Leia asked calmly.

"Constant battle. Absolute perfection and serenity, or darkness and madness. It just can't be right. Why have darkness at all?"

"When did you start thinking this?" Leia asked. Rey shrugged. "Reality does not often line up with our definition of right," the General replied. "And it's never easy. Your mission is to infiltrate the First Order and find the ones who have awakened and are especially sensitive to the light side."

"And...and what? Bring them back?" Rey asked, shocked. "What if this is a trap? What if they _turn on us?_ "

"We'll do it," Poe said.

"Hey!" Rey snapped.

"You're in the army now, kid."

"I am a Jedi in training, not a soldier. I still have a mind of my own."

The General held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Please, both of you. I am not running a dictatorship. Rey if you don't want to do it you don't have to."

"Is Ren there?" Rey asked suddenly. In her mind she saw his face, and always she saw him without his helmet. Narrow jawed. Pale. Haunted.

Leia nodded. "Our informants tell us he is heavily involved with the Sith recruits."

"You're strong enough to face him, Rey," Poe said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And you won't be alone."

"I am not afraid of him," she whispered. She found that she meant it. "I have unfinished business with him. I won't fail again."

"This mission is search and rescue at the most, Rey," Leia warned. "Reconnaissance at the least."

"Forgive me General, but that is your feelings talking and not wisdom."

"You have a lot to learn about wisdom."

"Then will you take this mission with me, Rey?" Poe asked quickly. He looked comically like the room was suddenly too small for him.

Still frustrated but sensing that it was her duty to give in at this moment, Rey nodded. "We need a bit more of a plan than barge in and ask for volunteers, though," she said irritably.

Despite the tension of a moment before, amusement filled General Leia Organa's eyes; a genuinely affectionate warmth that made Rey's heart ache. How she wished she had a mother to look at her like that. Someone who would rather die than see her hurt. Someone who would always have a place for her. How it ached to only receive scraps of tenderness from the eyes of a leader sending her on another potential suicide mission.

"Of course," Leia said. "I do have some ideas."

"So do I," said a tired voice from the door. Rey looked up in surprise.

"Luke!" Leia said warmly, crossing the room quickly to pull him into an embrace. Luke Skywalker's Jedi robe was torn and ragged, as was the expression on his face. "I didn't even sense you. You improve every year it seems."

"Maybe you're slipping," he said, cracking a small smile. The haunted look had not left his powdery blue eyes. It was a look that seemed to run in the family. "A dream told me I had to return. You were right. The force is behaving in a way I've never seen before. Across the galaxies there are dozens of force sensitives, not all of them extremely gifted, but the sheer number of them makes it noteworthy. It is too great to be monitored, too great to be controlled. Our focus must be on protecting force sensitive beings from being recruited by the dark side. Starting with those conditioned by the First Order. Snoke's grip on these kids is the only factor we have the capacity to manage at this stage."

Unnerved, and suddenly feeling it would be inappropriate to pester this aged Jedi Master about her family, Rey walked over to the window and sat herself down on the ledge, closing her eyes so she could feel the breeze. It felt like she had nowhere to go, nowhere to turn but inward. "All of you think a great deal too much about control," she said quietly. "All of you."


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Hahaha, I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I find the intensity of the dark side really amusing, and after establishing some plot premise and character motives in the last chapter, I was ready to have a bit of fun.**

 **A few of you have asked about romance. I can guarantee you there will be romance, I don't think I'm capable of writing without it. That's all I'm going to tell at this point, hahaha.**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews! I never intended to continue this, but it's so fun hearing all your feedback, I keep getting inspired. So, thank you! Hope you have fun reading this installment.**

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Kylo Ren paced up and down the cargo bay, helmet in place, looking imperious as any Sith if it weren't for the way his hands dangled restlessly at his sides. The stormtroopers gave him a wide berth. "This is taking too long," he said in a low, gravely voice. "I could have eaten something else by now."

General Hux exchanged a glance with one of his commanders. "Perhaps this is an opportunity for you to explore maturity," he said cooly. "To develop your patience. Your control."

Nobody saw it coming. In an instant Kylo Ren's red lightsaber was drawn and slashed through the nearest stormtrooper. The faceless innocent crumbled to the ground. Ren straightened slowly, and turned his head towards Hux. The impulsive Sith was all stillness and calm, now, as though the violent act drained the restlessness from him. "Don't forget your place, General. At the end of the day you are a pawn, and there are others who could take your place."

"I'm not the only one, these days." A cruel smirk.

Ren lunged. General Hux flinched back in alarm, swallowing in relief when the lightsaber stopped just short of his throat. Ren tilted his head slowly. "Don't forget," he said. "I am not known for considering the consequences of my actions."

The already pale General turned another shade of white. "Yes sir," he replied.

"Excuse me," a droid interrupted. Even the robot seemed nervous. "The Kezmadians are ready. Shall I direct them to the eating hall?"

Ren nodded. The droid turned wordlessly and headed towards a large, clunky foreign ship which had come on board. Dozens of stormtroopers surrounded it, weapons ready. Through his helmet Ren leveled the General with a stare. "Alert the padawans," he commanded. "It's time to eat." The young Sith stormed away, cape trailing imperiously behind him.

The commander came alongside General Hux, watching Ren disappear through the automated doors. "He's just hangry," the commander remarked.

Meanwhile Kylo Ren stormed through the eating hall, making his way to the head table where he would be sitting. He glanced at the array of Sith padawans already seated, those stormtroopers who had recently been found to be sensitive to the force. Their armour was a hastily assembled grey version of that worn by the stormtroopers. Awakened or not, they were weak. Too weak. Unstable. Many tempted by the light side. Black was too good for them.

The decision to train the awakened was Ren's. Snoke had taken some convincing.

He told himself it was the most ruthlessly sensible course of action, to train them rather than kill them. The awakening would provide too many padawans for the light side, now that Skywalker had left his life of cowardice and apparently recovered from his failure at the previous Jedi academy. (A memory of days in the sun, learning from his uncle, surrounded by peers. Laughter. Connection. He squashed it.) Apparently killing the Jedi wasn't enough. The force was like water in a dam. It sought an outlet, and now it had burst. If they could not destroy all the force sensitives, they would simply have to train more Sith to help them in their quest to eradicate the Jedi.

A new war. Ren felt a thrill of excitement course down his spine. Yes. That was what he wanted. _War._

On the way to his seat he passed a young man with tan skin and dark, tilted eyes, his helmet removed in preparation for the lavish meal that had been promised and was yet to be delivered. Impulsively, Ren removed his own helmet. The young man nodded. "Ren," he said. "We thank you for the invitation." A knowing in the awakened's demeanor unnerved Ren, and yet he found himself continually drawn to talk to speak to this particular padawan.

Weakness, his conscience whispered.

"Let the Kezmadians grovel," Ren replied cooly. He continued to assess the man. "You are TN-135."

"Yes sir."

"Show me what you can do."

A grin touched TN-135's eyes, but did not bend his lips. He stood slowly to his feet, and extended a hand. Immediately Ren was shoved back, as though punched hard in the shoulder. Ren narrowed his eyes. TN seemed amused. Almost playful. Ren raised an index finger in warning. "There are no brothers amongst Sith," he said calmly. "You must find your hatred. Your jealousy. The force is strong with you, but even here we are not safe from danger. You must delve into the dark side, or be eliminated."

Heeding the warning, the light left TN's eyes and he nodded, sitting down wordlessly. Ren spun on his heel and continued to his seat. Agitated. Angry. How was it that the light side found its way onto his ship? How was it able to push against the darkness all around?

He sat down, drumming his fingers against a steel armrest. The room consisted of twenty long tables, each seating twenty. Most were already full, except for the two tables closest to Ren's - which consisted of forty Sith padawans, who were still trickling in from their training which was even more brutal, even more ruthless than the stormtroopers' regular conditioning. It had to be. This was how they could put an end to the Jedi. This was how he could restore order in his grandfather's honour.

And yet in his own mind his mission was becoming less clear as time passed. It was the awakening which caused his confusion. The force was stirring. And he was deeply connected to the force. It pulled at him from the inside, gnawed at him. Tore him to pieces. He used the conflict to strengthen himself, used the frustration. Used the pain.

A pulse went through the air. Ren looked around to see if anyone else had felt it. TN-135 sat up straight and looked around, along with one other in the back, a dark skinned girl with short hair. Both looked to Ren, who was already on his feet.

* * *

"This is stupid."

"It'll work."

"Are you sure your man is reliable?" Rey asked dubiously. Side by side, she and her new co-pilot were gliding through space, headed straight towards the enemy camp.

"Sure," Poe said.

"And you're sure he won't be caught?" She gave an annoyed shake of her head. The plan they were currently executing had not been her vote. "Kylo Ren will smell this coming a mile away."

"He won't," Poe replied. "Sith Lord or not, a young man still likes a good meal. They've been on freeze packs for weeks. The Kezmadians only recently surrendered to First Order control, and are legitimately looking to garner favour. What better way than food? It's perfect."

"It's not," she muttered. "I'd see this coming."

"He won't."

"He'll sense something is off when he sees him."

"He won't see him. Do you have any idea how many stormtroopers there are at this place? That amount of food isn't going to be delivered by one guy. He'll just be another star in the sky." Poe glanced over, and took note of the tension in the young Jedi's shoulders. "Trust me, Rey," he said gently. "He'll get us in."

"We should have gone with my plan."

"Get captured and then break out," Poe deadpanned. "He really would see that one coming. And escaping wouldn't be so easy this time."

Rey narrowed her eyes. "I suppose boys do have huge appetites," she said.

"Boys?" Poe teased, sending her a cheeky grin. "Harsh."

She didn't even glance at him, only lifted her chin as she engaged the cloaking device and prepared to enter the enemy's territory. "I guess we'll see if they are men," she replied, and increased their speed. "A man would choose the light side."

The look Poe gave her was thoughtful. "Ah, huh," he replied.

* * *

Steaming trays of food were carried into the room, and apparently even stormtroopers couldn't resist the urge to murmur their collective appreciation. Real food. Food that had been alive only days earlier, and was now dead and cooked and being served to them on an aluminum platter.

Kylo Ren swore loudly as a tempting tray of food was placed before him. It smelled so good, but something was wrong. He'd felt it, when he felt that pulse in the air. He raised a hand in front of him and closed his eyes, feeling the force in the room, letting his senses become aware of it between every item, every human, and then deeper into every human's thought. There was only so much he could do but Ren was particularly skilled in mind tricks and telepathy. All he needed was a clue, some mind that was not focused the same way as the others.

Fear. Fear. Fear. Anger. Hatred. He scanned the caterers quickly and found what was to be expected. The Kezmadians were a conquered people, and their negativity thrilled the dark side within him. It wasn't what he was looking for.

And then he found it.

 _Hope._

It was offensive, vile, it tasted like vomit to his conscious mind. And it belonged to a man – no, more of a creature, the Kezmadians had thick leathery skin and bulging eyes – over by table 17. Incensed, Ren snapped his helmet back on and strode towards him, arm outstretched. The Kezmadian's breath caught in its throat as he was slammed back against the wall, the tray of food he'd been carrying falling to the ground with a loud bang.

Aside from TN-135 and the brown skinned girl, who watched as if transfixed, the room's occupants ignored what was happening. Violence was like breathing for Ren, and they were used to ignoring what they did not want done to them. Apparently the Kezmadians needed no warning, for their only response was to stare fixedly at what they were doing.

"What have you done, creature?" Ren asked darkly. His voice was even more intimidating through the helmet.

 _I have done nothing, Sith scum!_ The creature hissed in its native dialect. Behind his mask, Ren rolled his eyes.

"I don't have time for liars," he said blandly, and applied more pressure with the force. Blood began to come out of the Kezmadian's nose and eyes. It made a horrible keening sound in its throat.

 _I...will...tell...nothing! i_ t said.

"Slight progress," Ren whispered. "What exactly won't you tell me?" And he changed the focus of the force to the being's mind. He pushed. He pressed. He enjoyed the fear and pain he was creating.

In the end, the creature showed no outstanding strength.

 _I have let them in. The girl Jedi and the fearless pilot. They will be your undoing._

A moment later the creature was dead, slumped against the ground. Kylo Ren ran a hand over his helmet, instinctively looking to brush his fingers through his hair in a nervous habit left from childhood. He turned headed towards the main doors, reaching up to activate his earpiece as he did so. "Tell General Hux we have intruders," he snapped. "I want my knights searching every nook and cranny of this station."

"...Now, sir?"

"Unless you want to allow the Resistance to execute whatever plan they are hatching," he said through gritted teeth, "then yes, now."

"During dinner, sir?"

"I will kill you, Commander."

"Yes sir. Right away sir. Should we alert the Sith padawans? Do we need them?"

Something stirred inside him, like a memory. Then he knew. "No. All stormtroopers on duty are to be placed on guard around the perimeter of the eating hall. The Resistance is after my padawans."

He would kill her this time, he thought to himself. Damn that girl. And especially damn Poe, that cocky piece of mealworm. So righteous. So brave. So beloved of Han Solo and General Leia Organa. Poe should be tortured rather than killed outright.

Ren switched off his earpiece and stormed through the eating hall, then paused and grabbed a plate of food from in front of a random stormtrooper. He could work and eat at the same time if he had to, damn the stars.

The stormtrooper watched the terrifying Sith leave, and stared at the empty table in front of him, head hanging sadly.


End file.
